Knitting machine



July 25,` 1939. K. R. LIEBERKNECHT KNITTING MACHINE Filed Deo. 24, 1937 $1 @0M m M.

Wzess Patented July 25, 1939 2,166,959

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- KNITTING MACHINE Karl Richard Lieberknecht, Oberlungwitz, Germany, assignor to Kalio, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York f Application December 24, 1937, Serial No. 181,566

In Germany December 28, 1936 2 Claims. (Cl. 66-82) The present invention relates to improvements frame, and in which all of the lengthwise supin multiple section at knitting machines, and porting rails for the machine, together with all more particularly to improvements in the conof the driving and controlling members extendstruction and organization of full-fashioned ing along the length of the machine for simul- 5 machines of this general description, to facilitate taneous actuation and control of a plurality of 5 in the transportation to and setting up of these knitting sections, are arbitrarily broken off bemachines in the mill. tween each of these divisible units ofthe machine In accordance with usual manufacturing methframe in such a manner as to permit the couods, each machine is set up in the factory where pling together of these parts between the malO lt is run-in and the various adjustments are made chine units, whereby the portions of the machine so far as possible to condition the machine for comprised by the several divisible units may be commercial operation immediately when set up readily assembled together t0 DrOVide a single in a knitting mill. Because of the great length operating unit ofthe entire machine. and complexity of these machines, it has been The several features of the invention consist l5 found necessary to almost wholly dis-assemble also in the devices, combinations and arrangethe machine for shipment. The re-assembling ment of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and re-adjustment of the machine in the mill is which together with the advantages to be obthen a difficult job requiring the services of a tained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled operative who is ordinarily sent out from skilled in the art from the following description the factory, and requiring a minimum of several taken in connection with the accompanying 20 weeks for its completion. Among the most imdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevaportant of the adjustments which must be made tion of a twenty-four section knitting machine after theparts of the machine have been lined having the usual driving and COntrOlling mechallp along its length, are those relating to the nisms associated with nat full-fashioned hosiery operation of lengthwise moving partsas, for inmachines; FLgs. 2 to 6 inclusive, are similar views 25 Stance, the slur-cocks, yarn carriers and loop of the separate divisible units of the machine transfer mechanisms cooperating with the sevillustrated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a detail Seceral sections. With the usual organizaticn of tional view in front elevation illustrating cn an these machines, the lengthwise moving parts for enlarged scale one of the narrowing spindles and each individual section are supported and conthe narrowing fingers ccntrclled thereby. 30 trolled by means of lengthwise movable rods ex- The invention is herein disclosed as embodied tending over a relatively large number of sections in a preferred fOlIn in a multiple SectiOn flat fullof the machine. The narrowing ngers associfashioned knitting machine which may be 0f ated with each section, for example, are secured Ordinary construction, cOnSiSting 0f twenty-fcur to lengthwise movable rods, and must be adjusted knitting Secticns, each 0f Which cOInDriseS a bank 35 with extreme precision to secure an accurate of spring beard needles movable as a unit and positioning of these elements to cooperate with generally designated at l0 in the drawing InaS- the needles of each individual section, much as the construction and mode of operation It is a principal object of the present invention of these machines is well known in the art and to provide a novel and improved construction and forms Specifically n0 Dart 0f the Present inven- 40 organization of a flat full-fashioned knitting mation, only a diagrammatic shOWing 0l SnCh a chine of this general description, which will permachine has been made in the drawing. mit of the dis-assembly of the machine into size- The machine frame consists of a series of able units for shipment, and a subsequent retransverse frames I2 which are spaced along assembly of these units without in any manner the length of the machine, one for each two knit- 45 disturbing the adjustment or operating relationting sections I0, and are supported rigidly in ships of the many interrelated cooperating maposition by means of longitudinally extending chine parts along the length of the machine. rails, of which the front rail I4 and work table With this and other objects in view, as may I6 are specifically illustrated in the drawing.

hereinafter appear, a feature of the invention The knitting instrnmentalities including the nee- 50 consists in the provision of a. multiple section dles l0 for each of the several knitting Sections at knitting machine in which the supporting are driven from a main camshaft I8 extending frame is constructed and arranged to take the the full length of the' machine, through connecform of a number of separate supporting units tions which are Well known in the art and need 56 provided at each end witha transverse supporting not here be described. At the left hand end of 55 the machine are provided the usual mechanisms for shogging the cam shaft I8 axially to the narrowing position, and the drive for the pattern chain control diagrammatically illustrated at 22 in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. There are also provided the usual narrowing spindles 24 and 26, of which the spindle 24 is arranged to control the operation of the narrowing fingers cooperating with the twelve sections comprising the left half of the machine, the narrowing spindle 26 being arranged to control the position of the narrowing fingers cooperating with the twelve sections comprising the right half of the machine. As shown in greater detail in Fig. 7 of the drawing, the narrowing spindle 24 is comprised of two oppositely threaded portions having mounted thereon the nuts 28 and 30 which operate in theusual manner to control the lengthwise positions of four supporting bars 32, 34, 36 and 38 which extend along the length of the twelve sections comprising the left half of the machine. The bars 32 and 34 provide support respectively for the left and right wide narrowing fingers 40 and 42, andthe bars 36 and another, have been formed of separate parts J which are supported by and extend beyond thev 38 provide support respectively for the left and right small narrowing ngers 44 and 46. Inasmuch as these mechanisms are well known in the art, no further description or illustration thereof is believed necessary.

In accordance with a principal feature of the present invention, the machine illustrated in the drawing, is constructed and arranged to permit the dis-assembly of the machine into a number oi divisible units 'suitable for shipping, without in any way disturbing the organization and adjustment of the several cooperating mechanisms. To this end, the machine frame is constructed and arranged in the form of ve divisible units indicated respectively at A, B, C, D and E. The units A and E as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawing, each comprise four machine sections which are supported by means of three transverse frames I2. 'I'hese frames are spaced one for each two knitting sections to provide a support for the several operating shafts and machine connections between the two pairs of knitting sections and at both ends of each divisible unit A and E. 'I'he units B and D illustrated specifically in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawing, each comprise six knitting sections of the machine, which are supported by means of four transverse frames I2, one such transverse frame being provided between e'ach pair of knitting sections I0. and also at each end of the operating unit. The unit C which comprises the central portion of the machine, is similarly cgistructed with a transverse supporting frame I2 at each end of the unit, and two additional frames at the adjacent ends of the two pairs of sections which are separated from one another to provide sufficient space for the usual driving and operating connections including the driving motor unit generally indicated at 48 for the main cam shaft I8.

It will readily be seen from an inspection of the drawing, that the sub-division of the machine into a plurality of divisible units has been accomplished without the necessity of any duplication of the several operating and controlling mechanisms for the machine. Instead, each of the lengthwise extending, members including the longitudinally supporting rails, the rotatable shafts and other parts :which normally extend along the length oi'v the machine from one section to supporting transversev frames located at each of the several divisible units into abutting relationship to one another, so that they can readily be coupled together to perform the usual function of the corresponding parts of machines of this type which are normally manufactured in one piece and extend from section to section along the length of the machine. However, when the couplings are removed, each of the separate units is completely self-contained, and can be shipped without any disturbance of the adjustments or operative relationships of the several mechanisms embodied therein.

This mode of construction and assembly of the machine is well illustrated in the drawing, in which the front rail f4 and work table I6 are shown as formed of five separate parts which are brought into abutting relation for securing together by coupling means indicated at 49 and 5I when the several units of the machine are assembled. 'I'he main cam shaft I8 and also the rock shafts 52 and 54 illustrated as forming part of the usual organization of these machines, are

similarly formed of separate parts which are arranged to be coupled together into separate and 56.

As best shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing, the supporting bars 32, 34,36 and 38 for the large and small narrowing fingers, are similarly formed of three separate parts arranged to be connected together by couplings 58, so that the narrowing points associated with each of the knitting sections comprised by the left half of the machine, will be operated as a single unit by the usual narrowing spindle 24 mounted in that portion of the machine comprised by the separable unit B. When the machine is assembled in operating position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the adjoining end transverse frames I2 of each of the divisible units will be spaced from one'another a distance which is just sufficient to'permit the introduction of coupling members for all of the lengthwise extending supporting rails,

movable shafts and other members which normally extend along the length of the machine from one to another of the divisible units A, B, C, D and E above described. With this construction and arrangement of the several operating and supporting members extending along the length of the machine, it will readily be seen that a minimum of effort is required for the disassembly of the machine into separate units suitable for shipping, and that each separate unit, formed at each end with transverse supporting frames I2 as above described, provides a selfsupporting organization of the several parts contained therein, which is suitable for packing, and is not readily susceptible of injury from subsequent handling. When the machine is again assembled, it is necessary only to line up the several units of the machine in the proper positions, and to couple together the several parts as previously set forth. Inasmuch as the majority of adjustments to the several operating mechanisms of the machine have previously been made and have not been disturbed in the process of dis-assembly and shipping, very little skill and a 'minimum of time is required for the setting up of the machine for active operation.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown, and

. operating units respectively by the couplings that various deviations may be made therefrom Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

.1. In a multiple section knitting machine, the combination with knitting instrumentalities including a series of knitting needles and fashioning devices associated with each section, of a machine frame comprising a plurality of transverse supn porting frames including two such transverse frames spaced from one another and interposed between two adjoining knitting sections, connecting members for said transverse frames extending .along the length of the machine, each of said members being comprised of separate parts having the abutting portions thereof located between said spaced transverse frames, a plurality of driving and controlling members extending along the length of the machine for the simultaneous actuation and control of the knitting and fashioning devices associated with a plurality of sections, each of said driving and controlling members being comprised of separate parts .having the abutting portions thereof located between said spaced transverse frames, and means for coupling together the abutting ends of each of said driving and controlling member parts located between said spaced transverse frames whereby a simultaneous operation of the knitting and fashioning devices associated with a plurality of knitting sections located on both sides of said spaced transverse frames is eiected by said fdriving and controlling members.

2. In a multiple section knitting machine, the combination with knitting instrumentalities including a series ci knitting needles and fashioning devices associated with each section, of a machine frame comprising a plurality of transverse supporting frames including two such transverse frames spaced from one another and interposed between two adjacent knitting sections, connecting members for said transverse frames extending along the length of the machine, each of said members being comprised of separate parts having the abutting portions thereof located between said spaced transverse frames, a plurality of driving and controlling members extending along the length of the machine for the simultaneous actuation and control of the knitting and fashioning devices associated with a plurality -of sections located at opposite sides of said spaced transverse frames, each of said driving and controlling members being comprised of separate parts having the abutting portions thereof located between said spaced transverse frames, and means for coupling the abutting portions of all of said parts whereby the portions of the machine comprised by said parts and the transverse frames associated therewith may be readily assembled together to provide a single operating machine unit.

KARL RICHARD 

